When John Harbaugh graduated from Miami University with a degree in political science, his mother Jackie had the next 20 years of his life mapped out – A lawyer first, then a politician, and eventually the President of the United States of America. But one evening, John sat down at the dinner table and told her he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and be a football coach. Jackie was shocked, but not entirely surprised.

You see, the Harbaughs have always believed in giving your best no matter what you do. So Jackie accepted her son’s wish. Forty-two years later, John is beginning a new journey in New York. The NFL team that made him an NFL head coach parted ways after some disappointing seasons with just a call. It put Harbaugh at the reins of the team already drowning, but he continued to show love. And as she sits with the New York Post, Jackie Harbaugh believes neither will her son give up on doing his best, nor will he blame anyone for that decision.

“I’d say he’s very caring. I’d say he’s a very virtuous kind of person,” Jackie said. “His faith is very important to him. I believe he’s honest. I believe that he takes the high road in difficult situations. He doesn’t play the sour grapes game. He doesn’t throw anybody under the bus, players or organization. He tries to find a way that you can handle those situations without being nasty.”

Those final words mean a lot, given that the Baltimore Ravens fired John in January after 18 seasons. Apparently, owner Steve Bisciotti simply called him after Baltimore went 8-9 and missed the playoffs at the hands of their divisional rivals: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The call entailed a difficult decision, but ended up making John Harbaugh the bigger man for one simple reason: Harbaugh’s a people person.

Instead of being angry with Bisciotti, Harbaugh did something special for the people who took a chance on him as an NFL head coach. Eighteen days after his firing, he printed an ad on the front page of the Baltimore Sun to thank the fans, the community, and the team.

“To Steve Bisciotti: Thank you for creating an environment rooted in maintaining a standard of excellence,” Harbaugh’s words read in the ad. But behind the scenes, too, he was being the bigger man.

Bisciotti noted that when he got emotional over the call, it was John Harbaugh who comforted him. However, the decision had to be made.

“When we fail, we all fail together,” Bisciotti said. “You can’t say the timing is perfect in anything, but I got to the point where I didn’t believe that I would feel regret after I made that decision. That’s what instinct is. People were saying we were underachievers. We were. And we had to own that.”

Even after the owner had told him he wasn’t a part of their future, Harbaugh was calling Bisciotti and giving him advice on the Ravens. Bisciotti, in turn, was consulting Harbaugh on coaching openings. In Bisciotti’s own words, they are “going to be friends forever.”

Harbaugh walked out of Baltimore with one Super Bowl ring, 12 playoff appearances, and a 0.614 winning percentage – the most successful coaching tenure in franchise history. Getting fired over the phone after all that would harden most people. But Jackie’s point is that her son handles all of that differently. And it is visible in how he has already gripped the Giants.

Now that Harbaugh is with the New York Giants, nothing about his first few months looks like a man easing into a new job.

John Harbaugh’s rebuild is in progress

The very first thing John Harbaugh made clear at rookie minicamp was that he isn’t running a tryout. He called it a rehearsal – a camp designed to teach rather than evaluate.

“This is not a camp where you’re trying to go out there and make plays,” Harbaugh said. “There really are no plays to be made. It’s a rehearsal-type of camp. … We’re going to kind of do the dance, so to speak, of football. We’re not actually competing against one another.”

In April, Harbaugh traded nose tackle Dexter Lawrence – the Giants’ best defensive player – to the Cincinnati Bengals for their 10th overall pick, and then replaced him by signing DJ Reader to a two-year, $12.5 million deal, adding Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu, and drafting another defensive tackle in the fifth round (Bobby Jamison-Travis). Four interior pieces in for one. That’s a deliberate reset of the defensive line’s identity.

Additionally, the fifth overall pick, Arvell Reese – 6-foot-4, 243 pounds – gave Harbaugh something to talk about immediately. Just two days into the minicamp, Harbaugh had seen enough to be specific.

“He moves like a smaller guy,” Harbaugh said. “He moves his feet; he can flip his hips. Very natural-looking moved off the ball, which was something we saw on tape. Now we saw it on the practice field, so we feel better about it. Picks things up really quick. Very serious-minded. Very diligent about the assignments. I don’t think he’s got one assignment wrong through the [first] two days, which is great to see.”

But even with all the right plans and the roster talent, none of this works without the locker room buying in. And veteran quarterback Jameis Winston has made it clear that they have.

“I was so happy when we hired John Harbaugh,” Winston said. “I was excited because it felt like he gets it. He understands empowering players and coaches. Having someone who understands the importance of building the best possible team – coaching staff, players, personnel – is exciting.

“I’m happy that John brought his mojo to the New York Giants. We’re going to rock with him, fight for him, and win some football games – that’s the most important thing.”

Through his years, one thing Jackie has noticed about her son is that he is grateful to everyone. Not just the opportunities he has had, but also anyone he is working with, whether it is the staff or the players. As of now, he has one more thing to be grateful for, and that is a blank canvas named the Giants. And he is already taking things into his control.